Closer
by DORKALICIOUS Fan007
Summary: Basically, Post-Hawkmoth's Defeat AU where Ladybug and Cat Noir gave their miraculous to Master Fu without a reveal. Years Later, Adrien and Marinette finally meet. I'm terrible at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N_**

**_Hey MLB Fandom I was listening to the song 'Closer' by Halsey when I got inspired to write , I don't know what I'm doing with this just yet. It may remain a drabble or turn into a two shot, or even a multific. Who Knows? I wasn't gonna put it up until I had an idea about what I was doing but I suddenly had an epiphany and here I I ask is that you read this and give me your honest and most harsh opinion. If you guys really hate it then I'll get rid of it right away._**

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Adrien sat in the driver's seat and loosened his tie. To say he was exhausted was a clear misconception. When he decided to run Gabriel, he knew that it wouldn't be easy. Sure, back then it was a sinking ship once his father was revealed to be Hawkmoth. You'd think that after four years things would be easier to handle but it still stayed the same.

Four years since the defeat of Hawkmoth. He wasn't angry when he found out that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. Instead, he pitied his father for not being able to come to terms with the loss of Emilie. With Gabriel deemed as mentally unstable and unable to run the company, it was up to Adrien to either sell the company or save it from drowning.

Natalie was a godsend as always. Had it not been for her, Adrien would be running like a headless chicken. She guided him through the decision making and showed him the ropes to running Gabriel . Once the company was back to its original state, Adrien continued to run it. Between pressure from investors and overseeing the fashion aspect of the company, he had no idea how his father had the time to akumatize people.

With Hawkmoth no longer active, he and Ladybug had to return their miraculous. They never revealed their identities in the event that they had to return to their alter egos. But they made sure to do one last patrol and say their final goodbye before taking off their miraculous.

He missed having Plagg around despite the nuisance he was. He was not good at giving advice but Adrien couldnt have asked for a better kwami nor a better friend.

Being Cat Noir gave him a freedom that he found nowhere else. He wished that he could go for a rooftop run to clear his head. Since that was not possible, he went for the next convenient thing.

A couple drinks at a bar.

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**_Please let me know your thoughts _**


	2. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**9 Favourites, 11 Followers and 3 Reviews. And it's only Day 3.**

**Firstly thank you to Godslittlewoman018 for my first Fav/Follow. Also to Spottedlittlebug for my first review.**

**I never thought that my first uploaded MLB would be this spur-of-the-moment-not-sure-what-I'm-doing drabble.**

**Firstly, I want to thank everyone who liked this fic and apologise for misleading you into thinking that I updated with a new chapter.**

**Secondly, I actually did this to let you guys know that I will be continuing with this fic. Unfortunately, the next update will be around 16 June because I start exams this Friday. I'm gonna take long with updates because of reasons stated in my profile.**

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**Reply to reviews**

**Spottedlittlebug - **Thanks again for the review. I also can't wait for more.

**Adreinette4live - **Thanks for the suggest. I'm definitely gonna have them go home drunk together but the reason and what happens before that are gonna be a bit different. I hope you'll still like it though.

**AimeeGamieUnicorn ****\- **I'm glad you liked it. And I'm definitely not deleting it.

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**So... I guess I will see you all in June.****Until then, have fun!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**SURPRISE!**

**Okay, so I wasn't planning to update so soon but this chapter was itching to be written and once it was, I just had to put it up to see what you guys think.**

**I know that this might seem a little angsty at the moment but it does get better. Besides, whats Love without a little Angst on the side.**

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**REVIEWS!**

**Adreinette4live - **I'm so glad that you decided to wait and I'm sure you're more happy to see this update. Also, thanks for the wishes, I'm gonna need as much luck as I can get.

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**Okay, so after this the next update will definitely be in June and not anytime earlier.**

**Without further ado...**

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Marinette checked herself in the mirror one more time. She wore a red knee length dress with a brown leather belt and brown ankle boots. She'd left her hair open for a change and pinned some of it to the side with a ladybug hairclip. Some eyeshadow, liner and mascara with a touch of lip gloss finished the look.

It was the first time in four years that she was going out on a date. She would never have agreed to it had it not been for Alya. She would have been happy to just sit at home with her sketchbook and work on her designs.

She put on her Kwagatama; a reminder of Tikki. She never left the house without it. It made her feel as if Tikki was still around. Never in her life would she have imagined to survive four years without Tikki.

Four years since she had returned her miraculous to Master Fu. A lot had happened in that four years. Hawkmoth had finally been defeated. It was a shocker to see the face of Gabriel Agreste behind the mask of Hawkmoth. It was even more heartbreaking to see Adrien being put under scrutiny because of his father. Nonetheless, he'd managed to save his father's company from drowning and continued to run it.

She and Cat Noir decided not to reveal themselves as a precaution on the off chance that they may need to return to the masks again. Of course, that didn't stop him from proposing to her once again. Even though things between her and Adrien never worked out, Cat Noir deserved better than to be a second option.

She placed the lucky charm that Adrien had given her into her handbag. Along with the Kwagatama, that was another symbol of hope she kept with her. It was ironic to think that a gift from the one whom had broken her heart was what had given her the strength to agree to this date.

She and Adrien had dated for a while. It took her writing a letter, Alya's constant encouragement and personal determination to deliver it to Adrien. She was over the moon when he'd asked her out the very next day. Things were going great. She managed to get to know him as a cute pun loving dork which helped her overcome her inability to speak to him. All was well until a couple of months later, he broke up with her saying that he still had feelings for someone else.

Though she was heartbroken, she still stood by him when everyone found out about his dad. It took her a while but once she was over him, she never bothered to go out on another date with anyone else.

Of course, that was until today.

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**BTW, Please do let me know your thoughts in the reviews. Good or bad, I'm all for it.**

**Until then**

**STAY MIRACULOUS! **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**I finished my last paper for my mid-year exams and what better way to celebrate than to add a new chapter.**

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**Reviews**

**Spottedlittlebug- **You have no idea... Well I'm sure you will after reading this chapter.

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**Well, I can't believe the number of Fave/Follows that I have gotten for this fic. Thank you so much to everyone.**

**Also, like I said before, I have no clue what I'm doing here. If you want this fic to last longer then please give me some ideas on how to lengthen the plot. I think I might only have ideas for about 3 more chapters so if you want more, drop me a review.**

**Now I bring you...**

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Two hours. Two hours since she arrived at the bar for this blind date and this guy was yet to show up. They were supposed to meet at 7pm and for a change Marinette was 10 minutes early. She checked her phone for the fifth time.

''So much for reliable.'' She scoffed. That was one of his best qualities according to Alya, along with him being handsome, smart, a good sense of humor and not to mention a lawyer.

All that time wasted on makeup and choosing the perfect outfit, and he doesn't show up or even leave a message. _' Well, no point putting all that effort to waste,' _Marinette thought to herself. So what if she wasn't on a date with some handsome looking lawyer, she deserved a night out. Between work, helping out at the bakery and her other responsibilities, she barely got a night to herself and she was gonna make the most of it.

''Hey there Gorgeous'' (_And she spoke too soon_)

Of course, there would be at least one idiot who would see a cute girl sitting alone, having a drink at a bar, and decided to test how lucky they would be to get into her pants.

'Why you sitting all alone, Cutie?' Asked the stranger. He had hazel eyes, blonde hair and wore blue plaid shirt. To be honest, he was cute until he scanned her from head to toe and spent a little too much time staring below her neckline.

Marinette rolled her eyes, 'I'm waiting for my date.'

**_Blue Shirt_** leaned against the table. "Well looks like your 'date' isn't here. Do you mind if I joined you instead? I promise a good time." He winked at her.

"No thanks , not interested." She made sure to pay extra attention to the cocktail she was stirring.

"Come on beautiful, let me buy you another drink."

Marinette had had enough of this creep. She may not be ladybug anymore but she could still kick ass just as good and this guy was gonna get a demonstration until...

"Hey Babe, sorry I'm late"

She turned around to see...

**ADRIEN**?!

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**Don't forget to Review**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**OMG! 23 Favourites and 31 Followers**.

**Thank you so much for all the love.**

**I was only gonna update this story in December after my hiatus but I decided to do it today as a birthday gift to one of my favourite people on Fanfiction.**

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**Reviews!**

**Guest-**_ I hope you're still alive considering how long it took me to update. As you can see I haven't given up on the story. I'm gonna try to see how far I can go with it. Thanks for your Review._

**Spottedlittlebug-**_ Thank you so much for your love and support. Trust me when I say that dentures would have been the least of his problems if Marinette sorted him out before Adrien showed up._

**Adreinette4live-**_ So.. I tried really hard to get Adrien to teach the perv a lesson but it seemed really out context. Don't worry though, I made sure that Mr. Blue Shirt gets what he deserves._

**TheStrangeClaireBean - **_HAPPY BIRTHDAY Claire!!! Firstly, this feels very weird since you're usually the one replying to me. Anyway, thank you for being such an awesome friend and I wish for you to have many, many, many more birthdays to come so that I get to read many, many, many more stories by you._

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**So by now I'm sure you've realised that this chapter is dedicated to TheStrangeClaireBean.**

**Once again**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!!!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

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Adrien was tired of everything that had been going on in his life. All he really needed at this very moment was to drown all his sorrows in some whiskey. He ran his fingers through his hair out of exhaustion as he walked in when suddenly...

His heart skipped a beat.

It had been ages since he'd had that feeling. He could always feel her presence the second he stepped into a room. He could never understand why or how she had that effect on him. Despite having given his heart to Ladybug, she had managed to capture a piece of it.

He looked up and there she was. She looked as gorgeous as she did on their first date. The only difference was that she was beautiful as a teenager and absolutely stunning as an adult.

**_Why did we break up again?... Oh Right, Ladybug._**

He couldn't help but feel as if he was cheating both his lady and his princess. He knew that Marinette deserved better than second place which is why he backed out before he could fall deeper.

He wondered if this was fate giving him a second chance. As he decided to make his way to her, he saw some blonde jerk in a blue plaid shirt trying his luck.

Marinette barely spared the guy a glance before rejecting him but he wouldn't budge. Adrien's hand balled into a fist.

"What the..." he said under his breath. He thought of how to get rid of the ass without having to make a scene.

Finally, there was a light bulb..

He grabbed the bouquet of flowers from the nearby vase and made his way towards his girlfriend... **ex-girlfriend**.

"Hey Babe, sorry I'm late." He hoped it sound natural enough to make **Mr. Blue Shirt **back off.

"Adrien? " whispered Marinette.

"I got you a bouquet from your favourite flower shop." He smiled hoping that she would catch on. He relaxed a bit when he saw her expression change from surprised to mischievous. She got up from her chair and hugged him.

"Aww, you're forgiven."she said as she wrapped her arms around Adrien's neck.

**Mr. Blue Shirt** cursed under his breath after seeing the exchange and slowly began to back away. Adrien let go of Marinette to hug **Mr. Blue Shirt**.

"Thank you so much, George. You kept my girlfriend safe from perverted jerks. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?" said Adrien whilst squeezing **_George_** tightly.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU CRAZY PSYCHO!" **_George _**ran off earning a couple of stares.

"GEORGE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING? COME BACK!" Adrien called out.

Marinette and Adrien looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Hi," greeted Adrien once he caught his breath.

"Hey," Marinette replied.

"Mind if I joined you?"

"Have a seat."

The two old friends sat in silence after Adrien order his drink. Neither knew what to say or how to start the conversation. Just then a waiter approached them and requested that they return the bouquet of fake Orchards. Adrien apologised to the waiter.

Marinette couldn't believe that went through all that trouble just to help her out. "You know," she said, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You didn't have to do all that."

Adrien chuckled, "Marinette, I know better than anyone else just how capable you are. Trust me, I was saving HIM from YOU and not the other way."

"Really?" Marinette raised a brow.

"Remember our second date?" asked Adrien.

Marinette nodded, " Alya and Nino got into a fight and weren't talking to each other. We decided to bring them along and Alya tried to make Nino jealous by flirting with some random guy. Then they apologised to each other and were back together."

"Once they made up, you dragged me along to follow the guy, stopped hm before he could get into his car and threatened to chop his nuts off if he ever laid his eyes on Alya again." Adrien added on.

"Well, to be honest, he was a bit too touchy woth her and I just wanted to make sure that he was clear about not getting a chance with her." Marinette defended herself.

"How are the dynamic duo, by the way?" Adrien tried to keep up with his best friend as much as he could but being in charge of a sinking company was a 24/7 job. If his head wasn't attached to his body, he'd probably forget it on his office desk.

"They're still crazy in love and absolutely freaked about wedding being around the corner." Marinette looked at Adrien, "You are attending the wedding, right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." Adrien looked down to his drink. "Nino really wanted me to be his best man but things are just so hectic right now. I wish I could have been there for him more, you know."

Marinette felt bad for him. She knew how much Nino's friendship meant to him and yet despite his father not being around anymore, Gabriel still managed to isolate Adrien from the rest of his friends and family.

Marinette gave Adrien's hand a squeeze, "Hey, you know that Nino still cares about you just as much even if you're not his best man. He knows that if you could then you would be there with him when ever he needs you."

Adrien sighed, "I know but..."

Marinette tried to think of a way to divert Adrien's mind and cheer him up. Suddenly she had an idea.

Adrien looked at her curiously when she ordered two shots of vodka. "You know what?," said Marinette as she handed Adrien a glass, "How about we toast to the good old days and celebrate good memories? "

Marinette raised her glass, "To happy memories!"

Adrien smiled amd raised his glass.

"To happy memories."

Just after they downed their vodka, there was a scream.

"AAAHHH! IT BURNS!"

"GET LOST YOU PERVERT!"

They turned around to see **_George _****_or Mr. Blue_** get pepper sprayed by a lady in a green dress who then kicked him in the nuts.

Adrien shrugged,"Once bitten, twice painful."

Marinette giggled," I think it Twice Shy."

"Not in George's case."

Marinette laughed,"How did you know his name was George?"

Adrien ran his fingers through his hair, "Actually, I don't know his name. He just looks like a George so I cqlled him that."

Marinette laughed even harder.

"Waiter, TWO MORE SHOTS!"

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**That's it from me. I hoped you guys liked the chapter.**

**So I'm gonna have these two get drunk and then end up at either of their homes**.

**Do you think they should go to Adrien's place or Marinette's?**

**Let me know in the reviews.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N**

**Ladies and gentlemen, boys, girls and every living organism in Fanfictionland. I would like to officially announce my return and the end of my hiatus. I feel that there is no better way to celebrate this moment than by posting a chapter.**

**Before we go further, I just want to send a quick thank you to VanillaTwilight09 who helped me with writing this chapter when I got into a major writer's block. **

**BTW, ****I've gone through the reviews and noticed that most of you chose to have things go down at Adrien's instead of Marinette's. In fact nobody chose Marinette's place, not that I'm complaining or anything. I'm just curious to know why y'all so excited to head over to Adrien's place. Anyone willing to answer me in a review?**

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**REVIEW TIME!**

**Kazza2182-** Funny story. After I read your review, I happened to watch an episode where someone actually did happen to find his secret stash of ladybug pictures.

**Guest-** I'm so honoured to have this story be considered as one of your favourites. I'm also happy that you got a kick out of George's situation. TBH, I was just gonna have him walk away and not come back but when a reader requested for George to be taught a lesson and even said **Please** , I just couldn't refuse.

**VanillaTwilight09- **I know that you're alive because you're the one that pulled me out of my writer's block. Thanks for the help and hope you enjoy!

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**I'm sure you guys have been waiting for a long time for this chapter so I'm not gonna torture you anymore.**

Marinette's alarm had been blaring on for fifteen minutes. With her eyes still closed, she reached for her phone to switch it off. For some reason, her bed felt really warm and more comfy than usual. She just didn't feel like getting up right now, especially after having such a wonderful dream.

Alya had set her up on a blind date with some lawyer who turned out to be a no show. Suddenly, some guy shows up and starts to hit on her. Just as she was about to go all Ladybug on him, Adrien appeared out of nowhere and saved her. She and Adrien got drunk and some hectic stuff went down.

The dream was so realistic that she could still get his scent on the black bed sheet that she'd covered her face with.

**_Wait a minute my sheets aren't bla-,_** Marinette got up fast than lightning. "Ouch!", her head was killing her. She couldn't remember what happened last night but if it caused such a bad headache then it couldn't have been good.

After a few minutes, the aching had gotten tolerable enough for her to open her eyes again.

She took a look at her surroundings. It definitely wasn't _her_ bedroom. Her bedroom was very much like the bedroom at her parents but a little more mature with no trace of Adrien posters anywhere. Her bedroom had a work bench and sowing kit in one corner. Her bed sheets and pillows were pink while her wall was white. She had pictures of her parents, her friends and Hugo hung up.

This bedroom was twice the size of her own. The walls were a cream colour with no frames hung up. There was a brown cabinet that had a couple of anime DVDS as well as video games. On top of the cabinet was a flat screen TV as well as a gaming console. She picked up the frame from the bedside table on the other side of the bed. It was a group photo of her, Adrien, Alya and Nino at their graduation.

Everything finally began to sink in. Her dream wasn't a dream. Marinette really did get stood up on a blind date and then she got drunk and slept with Adrien. She could not believe that this was happening .

''Oh Tikki What have I done?''

She got out of bed and began gathering her clothes that were scattered all over the bedroom. How wild did I get last night? Marinette asked herself whilst grabbing the bra that was hanging from the bedside lamp.

She noticed a note stuck on the bathroom door.

**FRESH TOWEL AND CLOTHES INSIDE IN CASE YOU WANNA SHOWER. ADRIEN**

A shower was just what she needed right now and of course Adrien knew that. He always knew what she needed even if she never voiced it. With a smile on her face, she opened the door to the bathroom.

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**Once again , Thank you to VanillaTwilight09 for help on this chapter. **

**So I sort of have a plot planned out for this and I'm working on chapters as you read this. I'm officially over with school which means that I have enough time to provide you with updates although I don't know how often that will be.**

**Until next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**I hope everyone is having a good holiday.**

**I know that this is a little short but I'm working on it, I promise.**

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**REVIEW TIME**

**Guest**\- I'm pretty sure that she does. We'll be getting into that part soon so keep reading. 

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Adrien had been making breakfast when Nathalie called to check if he received the clothes that he'd asked for. When he asked her for a breakdown of his schedule, he was surprised to hear that he had no meetings set up for today.

"I clearly remember setting at least 5 meeting today: 3 today and 2 next week." Adrien said, securing the phone between his shoulder and ear as he flipped the pancakes in the pan.

"Yes Adrien, but I rescheduled today's meetings for tomorrow." Nathalie informed him.

"But-"

"No buts. You've spent every free second in these past four years making sure that the company is secure and running smoothly. You've never cancelled or rescheduled a single meeting in four years nor have you ever taken an early night to meet with your friends. After last night, it is clear that you need a break from everything."

Adrien was about to explain to her that he didn't need a break but failed as she said something that caught his attention. "Adrien, I remember when you and Marinette were dating. There was a change in you. You were happier and smiled more often. She brought out a better Adrien. Not everyone gets a second chance at love. You met her after so long and despite spending less than 24 hours with her, you're already sounding more fresh and happier. Look Adrien, even your father had to make time to be Hawkmoth and he'd managed to take this company to great heights before getting caught. I'm pretty sure that one day away from the office isn't going to sink the company any time soon."

Adrien gave in and agreed to take a day off. After spending so much of time in the office, he couldn't figure out what to do with the free time he now had. He figured that he should just focus on not burning the pancakes for now and figure the rest out later. However, he seemed to have had his work cut out for him after Marinette entered the kitchen in the dress that he'd left for her.

It was a capped sleeved yellow fit-n-flair dress with purple flowers that ended just below her knees. Across her waist was the same brown belt that she had worn last night. Her hair was secured in a French braid that cascaded over her shoulder. She looked so incredible that Adrien could not find the right words to complement her. The only thing that came to mind was what Nathalie had told him _'Not everyone gets a second chance at love.' _But was this really love or just an attraction?

The former model was brought out of his thoughts by the scent of burning pancakes. "Not again?!" exclaimed Adrien, rushing to rescue the pancake. Unfortunately, the rescue was unsuccessful. However, tragedy seemed to have a brighter side as Adrien got to hear Marinette laugh. He always liked the way she laughed. The melodious carefree laughter made the world feel like a better place and always seemed to drive all of his tension away. Adrien felt really good to hear her laugh again.

"You know," Adrien said. "It's not nice to laugh at someone else's misfortune."

Marinette shot him an apologetic look. "I just remembered the time I taught you to make pancakes and you burnt them because you were so focused on staring at me."

She suddenly blushed, realizing that Adrien had been staring at her just like that. Adrien blushed realizing that she had caught him staring at her again. Their eyes met and they quickly looked away before blushing again. This whole blushing, looking and turning away carried on for what seemed like hours yet in reality was a couple of minutes before Marinette broke the silence between them.

"About last night," she started. "I don't usually do stuff like that. Not the going to a bar thing cos I definitely go out with friends when I'm free- Not that I'm always free- I meant the whole getting drunk thing- I mean I do drink, not like an alcoholic type drinking, just drinking in general- I mean-Oh Boy!" It hasn't even been 24 hours yet and she has already started acting like her teenage self. She should have been able to talk to him after all these you but No- she just had to ramble on.

She took a deep breath and was finally going to say what she needed to say when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID to see a video call from… ALYA?!

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**Don't forget to read and review. **


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Welcome to 2020! Hope everyone has an epic year!**

**What better way to celebrate than with a new chapter.**

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Marinette was internally freaking out. The last thing she needed was a video call from Alya, especially not whilst wearing a _to-be-released **Gabriel **_dress, standing in Adrien's apartment about to have breakfast. If she didn't take the call then Alya would figure out that something was going on, and if she _did_ then Alya would know exactly what was going on. She didn't really want to tell Alya what was going on, at least not until she knew what was going on herself. Right now, she really needed to talk to Adrien and she had Alya on the other side. Marinette weighed out her options.

Adrien could wait.

Alya would kill her if she didn't answer the call. The bluenette looked around to find a way to answer the call and not get caught.

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Adrien was a little confused at Marinette's sudden behavior. Her phone started to ring and it looked like she was having some sort of panic attack. She stared at her phone and then at him and then at her phone again. This pattern continued for what seemed like forever until she finally answered the call.

"Hey Alya!" Marinette greeted her BFF.

"Hey, what took you so long to answer?" Alya looked at Marinette's surrounding and noticed that she was not in her own apartment. "Where are you by the way? Are you at Jason's place? OMG, M did you and Jason-"

Marinette cut Alya off not wanting to have such a discussion in front of her ex-boyfriend. "No Alya, I'm not at Jason's."

"Oh," Alya said sounding a little disappointed. "Then where are you?"

Marinette looked at Adrien before closing her eyes to prepare for the bomb that was going to explode. "I'm at Adrien's"

"ADRIEN'S?! ADRIEN AGRESTE ADRIEN?! ADRIEN THAT WENT TO SCHOOL WITH US ADRIEN?! HOTSTUFF ADRIEN?!"

"Yes Alya," said the former Ladybug with a nervous smile. "The one and only."

"When did this happen and how did this happen and why was I not informed and what the hell happened to Jason?"

Alya was talking a mile a minute without any pauses which made it hard to understand what she was saying.

"Can I explain everything when I'm home?" Marinette asked feeling really nervous with the look that Adrien was giving her.

"Okay but I want details." instructed Alya.

"Alya you're on loud speaker." Marinette covered her face with her hand out of embarrassment.

"Hi Adrien!" Alya waved at the camera.

Marinette handed the phone to Adrien and covered her face with both hands.

"Hey Alya" greeted Adrien. "I never got the chance to congratulate you on your wedding. Congratulations!"

"Save the congratulations for when we meet in person, Sunshine," said Alya. "First tell me what are your plans tomorrow night?"

"Umm, I don't know but if you need me to clear out some space then I'd be glad to," said Adrien. "Nathalie has recently been on my case to get a social life so I'm pretty sure that she'll work something out."

"Good because me, Nino and a few of our mutual friends are meeting up for drinks. And I'm pretty sure that Nino would love for you to be there."

"I'll see what I can do."

"I'll take that as a yes," announced Alya. "Now pass the phone back to my very embarrassed best friend who is currently hiding her face in her hands"

True enough, that was exactly what Marinette had been doing. Alya informed her that she and Hugo would be stopping at Marinette's place in three hours. The former superheroine had no idea as to how to face Adrien once the call was disconnected.

"Hotstuff Adrien?" asked the amused model-turned-CEO. "How is it that I never heard of this nickname before?"

"It's a long story that happened way before we dated." Marinette wished that there was a way to undo everything that happened. Well, not everything- she didn't really mind last night even though she wished that it could have happened under different circumstances.

"And who is Jason?"

Marinette figured that she had nothing to lose if she told Adrien about her date. "Alya had set me on a blind date with one of her lawyer friends named Jason. We were supposed to meet last night but he was a no show."

She looked at the time and realized that she really needed to head home. Adrien refused to let her take a taxi and offered to drive her home. When she refused him, he told her that she could either let him drive her voluntarily or risk getting rope burn when he tied her up, put her in the car and took her home. The poor designer had no choice but to let Adrien Agreste drive her home.

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The first five minutes of their journey passed with an awkward silence. Both knew that they had to talk about what happened last night but neither knew how to begin,

"About last night," Marinette and Adrien said simultaneously.

"You first," Marinette suggested.

"No, you go ahead." Adrien insisted.

"Please, I insist."

Adrien realized that there was no point debating when he was ultimately going to have to go first, "I know that neither of us expected last night to go as it did. But at the same time, I have no regrets about it. Look Marinette, I know that I was the one to break our relationship but the thing is that I had feelings for you and someone else. I liked that someone else before we even met but she liked someone else. I got to know you better once we started dating and before I knew it, I was falling for you as well. I didn't think that it was fair to either of you which is why I broke up with you. I guess when I saw you last night, whatever feelings I tried to hide had resurfaced. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I still have feelings for you."

Marinette stared at her hands as she thought about everything Adrien had just said. She'd be lying if she said that her feelings for Adrien had not come back after last night. They had broken up over four years ago and Marinette wasn't sure if they would be able to have what that had back then. "I don't regret last night either." Marinette admitted, "I still have feelings for you too. But… it's been almost five years since we broke up and a lot has happened in the last four years. Honestly, I'm not interested in having a relationship right now. The only reason I agreed to that date was because Alya had insisted on it."

A couple seconds later, they had arrived in front of Marinette's building. Adrien, being the gentleman that he was raised to be, walked her to her apartment. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow night." Adrien's hand found their way to his pockets

"Tomorrow night?" Marinette asked as she fished out her keys from her purse.

"Yeah, Alya said that a few of you guys are meeting up for drinks," reminded Adrien.

"Oh right," said Marinette as she unlocked her door. "Do you wanna come in?"

"No thanks, I actually have a few things to get done," Adrien declined.

"Look, I said this when we broke up and the offer still stands. We were friends before we dated and we will always be friends no matter what happens. If you ever need anything at all, a shoulder to lean on or someone to talk to, I'm always there for you. You know that, right?"

"Thanks Marinette," Adrien said. The ex-couple hugged goodbye before Adrien walked back to his car.

Once seated in his car, Adrien pulled out his phone to make a phone call. The call was answered on the second ring.

"Hey, can we meet?"


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N**

**Hey Everyone! Did you miss me ?.. Not even a little bit. **

**Just kidding!**

**Anyway, I know that it's been a while but I've been a little caught up with sorting out my stuff for University. No need to bore you with the details, I just want you to know that I'm not abandoning my fics but I might take a little long with the updates. I've decided that I'm gonna complete at least two chapters in advance before posting the next one. I feel that this new system might help me balance my time between Uni and writing, and help make sure that you guys are regularly updated.**

**Now on to my favourite part**

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**REVIEWS **

**VanillaTwilight09-**_I'm super flattered by your complements and I hope that you enjoy this chapter._

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**I really hope that you all enjoy this update. If anyone has any questions about me, this fanfiction or you have something you would like to say, good or bad, please drop me a review. I love hearing from you guys.**

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Adrien walked up the stairs to the apartment. Two minutes after ringing the doorbell, the door opened to reveal his best friend. "Adrien, my man! It's so good to see you!" Nino hugged the blonde before inviting him inside. "So what brings you here? Not that it's a bad thing, it's just that you've been so busy lately that I was surprised to see your phone call."

"Yeah, I had some free time and thought of stopping by," Adrien explained as Nino handed him a glass of juice. He told Nino all about his night at the bar, how he'd bumped into Marinette and everything that took place after.

"Look everyone knows that Marinette had the biggest crush on you back in high school and she took the breakup really hard." said Nino.

Adrien was surprised at what he'd heard. "Really? I never knew that she was hurt by our breakup so much. I mean, after the way she stood up to the media when they accused me, I thought that she was fine."

"No offense dude, but you're kinda really really blind when it comes to reading between the lines. Marinette didn't want you to feel guilty about breaking up with her and that's why she acted fine when you were around. Alya and I are the only ones who knew how Marinette really felt. It took her a while but she eventually got over you."

Adrien never realized that he'd hurt Marinette so much. There was never a day gone by where he didn't feel bad about the way he ended things and he never thought that he would get another chance to make things right. There was something about Marinette that always seemed to pull him towards her despite his feelings for Ladybug. Even after 5 years that feeling hadn't faded.

"Look Bro," said Nino bringing him out of his thoughts. "You're my best friend which is why I'm going to say this. Before trying to get a second chance with Marinette, take some time to think and make sure that this is really something you want. I've seen Marinette at her worst and I really don't want to see her hurt, plus I'm pretty sure that Alya wouldn't spare you at all."

A second chance with Marinette was all that Adrien had been thinking about since the second he laid eyes on her last night. He couldn't really explain what he felt when he was around Marinette and he would give anything to have that feeling again and again. Just thinking about her plastered a dopey grin on Adrien's face.

That same grin is what brought Nino to the conclusion that Adrien still had it bad for Marinette and that patching them up wouldn't be such a bad idea.

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Alya was greeted with the smell of croissants baking as she entered Marinette's apartment. Holding her hand was a 3-year-old boy with short blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing an orange t-shirt and a denim jumpsuit.

" Look who's finally home," said Marinette.

"MAMA!" exclaimed the Little boy. He ran over to Marinette who then picked him up and gave him a huge bear hug.

"Did you have a good time with Uncle Nino and Aunt Alya, Hugo?" she asked.

Hugo nodded enthusiastically and began narrating all his adventures to his mother. According to Hugo, the best part was when he and Uncle Nino went around the apartment gathering all the pillows they could find in order to build a gigantic fort in the living room and when Uncle Nino bought him a new remote control truck.

Marinette kissed Hugo on his forehead and instructed him to find a place for his new truck in his room. "Alya, you know that Hugo already has enough toys and still you guys went out and bought him a new one. At this rate he's gonna get spoilt."

"Hey, don't look at me. Nino is the one that took him out for an hour and came home with the truck," said Alya. "I swear it's like he becomes this giant man-child every time he's around kids."

"I guess that means that your kids are gonna be spoilt brats by the time they're Hugo's age," Marinette teased.

"Forget that," said a blushing Alya, looking to change the topic. "Now, spill the beans on how you went from meeting Jason at the bar to having breakfast with Adrien 'Hot Stuff' Agreste."

Now was Marinette's turn to start blushing. She began telling everything about the previous night to her best friend. "HE SAID WHAT?!" shouted Alya at the top of her lungs.

"Alya!" chastised Marinette. "You're gonna freak out Hugo and not to mention the neighbors."

Hugo tiptoed into the living room to see what had happened. "Mama?"

Marinette gave Hugo a comforting hug. "Don't worry Hugo, Aunt Alya just hurt her foot on the sofa."

"Ow," said Alya a little softer, pretending to rub her hurt leg. "Sorry Hugo"

Hugo began to giggle. "Like last time?" He asked recalling the time Aunt Alya screamed.

"Yes Hugo," said Marinette recalling how Alya had screamed her lungs out when Marinette agreed to go on the blind date. " Just like last time. Now why don't you watch your favorite show while Aunt Alya and I check on the croissants."

The former hero switched on the television and signaled her best friend to follow her to the kitchen. "Right, where were we?" asked Alya.

"I was checking on my croissants," answered Marinette as she opened the oven.

"Don't you even think of changing the topic," warned Alya. "The love of your life just confessed that he still has feelings for you. I mean that's gotta be something."

"It's nothing, Alya"

"Nothing?! Girl, you've been head over heels for this guy since we were teenagers-"

"Then we dated and he dumped me for some other girl that he had feelings for," Marinette completed. "Look, I'm not holding it against him but it's been almost 5 years since we broke up. I honestly don't think that we can bring back what we had."

"Look M, I understand where you're coming from but you guys are made for each other, even if you both are too dumb to see it." said Alya. "And you can't ignore the fact that you still light up every time he's around you. Face it Marinette, you still love him and he still loves you so why can't you both just confess and go back to how things were five years ago."

"Things have changed, Alya. We aren't how we were five years ago. Adrien's got a company to run and I've got Hugo to worry about." Marinette reasoned, "The last thing I want is for Hugo to get attached to someone and then break his heart when things don't work out."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you and I both know that you're just using Hugo as an excuse because you're afraid of taking chances." Alya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "M, I know that you love Hugo more than anything in the world but just think about it. Maybe having Adrien in your life could be good for both of you."

Marinette looked at Hugo who had fallen asleep on the sofa whilst watching his favorite cartoon. She still couldn't believe that he would be turning four years old in a couple of weeks. It felt like it was just yesterday when he'd entered her life and changed it forever.


End file.
